Bishop: since 1998

Chapter 30 Motivated Nuggets!
Sports Illustrated: Only you from the orangutan, Dameng, General, have been blown away by sharks! !

ESPN: Averaged 40+ per game, no solution to the Sharks, heading towards the league's No. [-] center! !
Los Angeles News Today: Lakers, the ultimate boss of the league appears?

Los Angeles Times: Unexpectedly, the new bishop of the Lakers won three consecutive victories! !

……

The next day, while the sports news was sweeping across North America, the Lakers had already arrived at the collapsed hotel in Denver.

Rest in the morning.

Adaptive training in the afternoon, the Lakers and all the players looked very relaxed.

Don't ask, the Nuggets just suck.

At the end of the 95-96 season, Mutombo, the core core, left, and the Nuggets officially entered the pace of reconstruction. However, due to bad luck, many main players were injured, and the Nuggets entered a dark period.

In the 96-97 season, 20 wins and 62 losses.

In the 97-98 season, 11 wins and 71 losses.

What's even more unlucky is that, except for missing the cornerstone players of the golden generation in 96, they didn't get the No. 97 pick in 98 and 5. The management's draft vision is also very poor, and they got the [-]th and [-]rd picks in two years They are all eye-catching.

Of course, the Nuggets' rottenness is just a result. Judging from the process, they are still very self-motivated, which can be called "hard work".

I know something in my heart, know that my team is bad, and desperately want to become stronger.

The NBA lockout in 98 did not stop their determination to become stronger.

In the selection conference, use the third pick to pick Rive LaFrentz.

This person is 2 meters tall and weighs 11 kilograms. He has good college data and is a good immediate combat power.

In the free market, he shot again and again, winning two star players at the All-Star level.

On the outside, from the Lakers side, the all-star point guard Nick Van Exel was traded. Last season, he averaged 13.5 points and 6.5 assists per game. As long as he has the ball, I believe 20+ is very easy.

Originally, the Nuggets would also bring Billups home from the 97 No. [-] pick.

He is the Nuggets, and now he is signed by the Lakers. They also have options, which is to keep Bobby Jackson in the second round of 97. This person, in the next few years, will become the main representative of the Kings' bench bandits The honor of the sixth man, the offensive strength is good, he averaged 6 points and 12 assists per game last season, and his chaotic ability is not bad.

On the inside, the power forward Antonio McDyess, who signed a rookie contract and the Suns are unwilling to renew his contract, averaged 15+7 per game last season, especially in the playoffs. The data of 17+9 has the potential to become an All-Star.

Both the draft and the free market have gained.

The Nuggets also have a lot of inventory. On the forward line, there is also Eric Williams, who was traded from the Celtics last season. De II's failure.

Generally, Bird II failures of the Green Army will be thrown to the Nuggets.

This player has a good offensive ability. Last season, he averaged 19.8 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists per game. It was just that he worked too hard and hurt himself by collecting statistics. He played 4 games and was directly reimbursed for the season. Fortunately, this season Comeback, the first three games, the state is not bad.

On the bench lineup, there is Danny Fordson, the rebounding beast, and Lu Luntai, the first-year future chicken soup coach.

Just looking at their cards, they are both young and competitive. The goal of the Nuggets is not to be poor, but to hit the upper reaches.

In other words, the head coach of the Nuggets, Mike D'Antoni, really has something.

As a rookie coach in the NBA, the management created the lineup he wanted for him.

If he goes to the Suns in the future, the team will still build his own lineup for him.

If his offensive ability can't conquer the management, it's impossible to do this.

Moreover, D'Antoni has set a running and bombing label for himself. From the Nuggets to the Suns, there is a tradition of running and bombing tactics, so that the team can find him.

……

August 1999, 2, night.

Pepsi Center Arena.

The Lakers' fourth regular season game against the Nuggets is about to start.

Simple appearance and warm-up, the starting lineups of both sides are listed as follows.

The Lakers started with five players, point guard Billups, shooting guard Kobe Bryant, small forward Jones, power forward Horry, and center O'Neal.

Li Mu formed an offensive lineup. In the 12-man roster, even Big Ben and Bowen were not on the list.

The Nuggets started with the Five Tigers, point guard Nick Van Esaek, shooting guard Bobby Jackson, small forward Eric Williams, power forward Antonio McDyess, and center River LaFrentz.

D'Antoni worked very hard, forming an extreme offensive lineup with a double short backcourt.

beep~~
As the whistle sounded and the basketball was thrown into the sky, O'Neal had no suspense. He defeated Rive LaFrentz, and the first attack was initiated by the Lakers.

Billups dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, resisted the desire to shoot, and he was steady, hoisting the basketball into the penalty area.

Bang-!
After receiving the ball and sitting on his back, O'Neal turned around, lifted the ball and shook it, and found that it was completely unnecessary. He stayed at the basket for a second, but no one came to defend.

River LaFrentz was knocked out of the bottom line on the first hit, and the Nuggets seemed to feel unnecessary for the follow-up defense.

"Bah—!"

O'Neal's whole body hung on the basket, dunked with both hands, and scored 2 points first.

After scoring the goal, O'Neal glanced at the Nuggets' bench. They were all lightweight insiders, and none of them could carry anyone.

Sure enough, there is no defense!
The Lakers scored on the first offense. Li Mu felt that the game was stable.

Off the court, D'Antoni was also calm. After all, when playing run-and-gun tactics, one must have a belief in his heart, that is, two-pointers cannot kill the game.

Moreover, the Nuggets are not without defense. I have never heard of it. Is offense the best defense?
On the field, the Nuggets were attacking, and the backcourt was short, like a whirlwind, quickly pushing the ball into the frontcourt.

Before the Lakers could set up their formation, Nick Van Exel's three-pointer had already thrown into the sky.

"Whoa—!
Nick Van Exel scored a three-pointer, O'Neal actively returned to the defense, and has not yet run into the three-point line, and I don't think he has to come back on purpose.

This is the speed of the Nuggets supercar, and it will be over in 7 seconds! "

2 to 3! !
Running and bombing, playing is speed, playing is not stable, using running to tear up the offensive space.

The Nuggets give up their defense and have already brought their speed to the extreme.

The Lakers' mobility is good, but it also depends on who they compare with.

On the court, the Lakers had the ball. Billups dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, suddenly pulled the ball up, raised his hand and shot a three-pointer.

Nick Van Exel just stretched out his hand to prove that he was really defending, not lazy.

Swish-!
Billups hit a three-pointer, this is his offensive rhythm.

During the organization dribble, he broke through and fired a shot, which caught the opponent by surprise.

Moreover, with Nick Van Exel's height, even if he is really prepared for defense, he can't interfere with Billups' shooting.

Next, the Nuggets' offense also scored a goal.

McDyess and Nick Van Exel played a pick-and-roll, caught the ball high up, and hit a jumper with his hands up.

On the court, the offense and defense transitioned, and Billups saw the Nuggets' defense shrinking.

This is to block the inside and force the Lakers to compete with the Nuggets on outside shots.

This is dreaming!

Billups did not lose the rhythm of the Nuggets, passing the ball to Kobe on the wing to attack.

Putting on three offensive threats, Kobe found that Bobby Jackson was full of flaws.

He didn't try the unreliable three-pointer, and changed direction directly in front of his body, accelerating his breakthrough to the inside.

Bobby Jackson had almost no physical confrontation, and was instantly torn apart by Kobe's breakthrough.

Eric Williams and McDyess defended, and a double ghost hit the goal.

Kobe pulled the ball into the air and flicked it in the air. Riff LaFrentz was squeezed out of the position, and O'Neal jumped up, alley-ooped, and ruthlessly scored the basket.

Boom-!
"Kobe and O'Neal connected, the Nuggets' No. [-] show, it seems that they are not ready for the game."

"Hehe, even if he is prepared, the result is probably the same.

The Nuggets, wanting to win, have never fought defense. They have almost no defense in every position, and the only way is to attack to the end. "

"..."

On the court, the Nuggets sit at home, and their offensive efficiency is quite good.

Bobby Jackson was shot by Kobe, and immediately in the offense, he broke through an emergency stop and shot two points. Facing Kobe's defense, he returned two points.

Nick Van Exel's three-pointer is also quite explosive, starting from outside the three-point line, giving and asking, showing his talent for three-pointers.

McDyess is also unwilling to be lonely. With his outstanding physical talent, he repeatedly beat Horry and scored frequently.

The Lakers and the Nuggets played against each other, playing at a fast pace. Unexpectedly, they were directly suppressed at the beginning.

The Nuggets played the offensive firepower of the trident and opened the score to 7 points.

Facing the situation of being behind, Li Mu didn't care. He didn't believe that the offensive firepower of the Nuggets could last so long, as long as their touch cooled down.

With their ineffective defense, they can only wait for the Lakers to harvest points.

"Indeed, the Nuggets' starting lineup is very strong offensively.

It's just that they are just a grassroots team. The lineup that has just been built has not been run-in yet, and they are just pulled out to compete.

The result of doing this will only take too many steps..."

Thinking of this, Li Mu'an quietly watched the Nuggets perform. In his eyes, their magnificent offensive firepower was just fireworks.

……

(End of this chapter)